Then the children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away. Mt 19:13-15
Children are gifts from God. All religions and cultures highly esteem the gift of children. The sign that God wants the world to continue is the fact that God allows children to be born, bringing new sources of blessing and new points of light to the world through their presence and their unique gifts.
Mary and Joseph accepted the unexpected gift of a child who became the best child ever to live. When the Catholic Church fights strongly against abortion and all kinds of anti-life systems, laws, and cultural practices—violence, hatred, murder, poverty, child abuse and neglect, elder abuse and neglect, euthanasia, and the contraceptive mentality—she reflects the truth that every life is God’s gift, at all times and in all circumstances.
The children and the vulnerable teach us on many levels. There are lives that become gifts to us by what they bring to us; and there are lives that become gifts to us because of what they bring out of us.
St. Mother Teresa reminds us that every child, indeed every person, old or young, rich or poor, sick or healthy, is beautiful. St. John Chrysostom refers particularly to the poor and insignificant members of society as the icons of Christ. We are called to appreciate life—every life—which, for us Catholics, begins at conception and ends with natural death. Each of us is called to use this precious gift, this life and all that the Lord has given us, in our unique spiritual journey, to glorify God. Cherish your life! Celebrate and reverence the lives of everyone. Let’s guard and guide particularly the lives of our children through the strength of the Spirit.
Reflection
Do I embrace the gift of children in my life? When has an “unwanted” life brought out the good in me? Can I see that each life matters to God?
Prayer
Loving Father, may there always be respect for life in this world, right from conception to its natural end. Amen.
